Life before black mesa
by JbearInChief
Summary: A huge, unsorted, non-cohesive array of head-cannon miscellany based on the life of Barney Calhoun before and just as he starts employment as Black Mesa. May add more as ideas come to me. No objectionable language.


De-lurking with some head cannon drabble.

**Surprisingly, I have been granted permission to write a story based in the half-life universe for a creative writing class. Therefore, I have decided to focus on Barney's life before and just as he began working at Black Mesa. I am trying to flesh out his character a bit more, so I decided to publish some biographical tidbits for all of you to enjoy/hate. Let me know if you agree/disagree/hate me/love me/hate Barney (GTFO)/ love Barney (me, too!)/etc. **

Barney grew up in Greenville, Ohio. Favorite teams are Bengals (football) and Reds (Baseball). Father was an avid season ticket holder of the Reds, even though they were nosebleed seats.

Barney is the middle child of three. Older brother is David and youngest sister is Lauren. (THIS is where most people will get angry with me. I chose to make Lauren his sister, because it frees him up for other relationships. DEAL with it! : ) lol )

The note in his locker that says "Buy flowers for Lauren" is because Lauren was accepted to the SUPER prestigious Cleveland Clinic medical school! Barney is immensely proud of his sister.

His real name is Bernard Robert Calhoun. He was named after his uncle, who died just before his birth. Utterly despises his first name, so chooses to go by Barney.

His parents' names are Loraine and George.

His mother is a school teacher. His father owned a hardware store.

His father taught his sons how to use tools, making Barney and his brother quite skilled with all types of tools. Barney's favorite subjects in school were his shop classes (woodshop, metal shop, auto shop).

Father died when Barney was in 9th grade from a heart attack.

His mother loves all of her kids, almost to a fault. His father loved his sons, but absolutely ADORED his daughter. Barney's sister was very distraught over fathers' death, and rebelled against her mother.

His brother was a hell-raiser, especially after his father's death. Barney got into a fair amount of mild trouble, but spent more time trying to reign in his unruly sister.

His sister eventually straightened out in her junior year of high school, and decided to go to college to become a doctor.

His mother almost had to sell their father's hardware store a few years after George's death because she couldn't keep up with it. Not wanting to see his father's business sold, David straightened up and ran it, returning it to its former glory.

Barney married his high school sweetheart, Tracy when they graduated high school.

Their honeymoon was to Florida. He loved it and always wanted to go back.

Barney and Tracy moved to New Mexico because Tracy took a job as a nanny to a family with two kids. They allowed Tracy and Barney to live in their guest house.

However, the family Tracy was working for divorced, causing Barney and Tracy to have to get their own apartment.

Wanting a steadier career, Tracy went to school to become a nurse. She encouraged Barney to go to school, so he went to the community college to look into criminal justice. However, Barney didn't enjoy school and didn't do particularly well, so he dropped out after a year and a half.

Barney heard about Black Mesa from a job fair, and moved him and Tracy to the facility. The free living quarters allowed Tracy to quit her job as a bank teller and focus on school full-time.

One day, Barney got off his shift early. Knowing that Tracy was taking part in one of her many marathon study sessions at the school library, he decided to surprise her with dinner. Unfortunately, Tracy was in the parking lot, kissing another man in her car. Barney realized that her 'study sessions' were a cover for an affair she was having with another student. Devastated, Barney broke up with Tracy, and considered moving back to Ohio. However, he couldn't stand the thought of working at his father's hardware store under his brother's management, so he stayed at black mesa.

Tracy moved out and in with her new boyfriend. Barney was almost more hurt that she didn't even try to fight the divorce. It was settled in six months. Tracy didn't ask for anything, not that Barney had anything to give (all of his money went to her tuition).

Barney actually contemplated suicide after finding out about Tracy's affair. He never told anyone about how depressed he was, and he forced himself to get past it by focusing on positive thoughts, and purposely taking security assignments around the base that didn't require him to have a sidearm.

Barney got to keep the dormitory he shared with Tracy, rather than being moved to a shared dorm room other singles have to have. He doesn't know if this was an oversight by administration, but he NEVER mentioned it.

Tracy was Barney's first real girlfriend, whom he married after high school. The horrible dissolution of his marriage has caused him to be very wary of other women, to the point of almost being paralyzed by fear.

After his father's heart attack, Barney has made it a point to be healthy, but still indulges in a beer…or two.

Barney is a hard-core conspiracy theorist, which stems from many nights staying up with David watching episodes of the twilight zone and the x-files.

Favorite part of a woman is eyes or lips.

Hates, hates, HATES head crabs. And heights.

Wants two or four kids. Doesn't believe in odd numbered kids, because someone always gets left out (In the Calhoun's case it was usually Lauren, which caused her to be even more withdrawn and rebellious).

Can lose sight of his senses when angry or frustrated… considers it his worst trait.

However, he is surprisingly cool under stress and adapts well to situations.

Drinks black coffee with just enough cream to turn the color.

His maternal aunt took in rescue horses on her property. Barney is a prolific horseback rider.

Growing up around animals (aunt's horses) made Barney want to become a veterinarian when he grew up. He used to wrap ace bandages on the legs of horses that weren't even injured "for practice."

He gets horribly embarrassed when his mother tells this story, which seems like is at least three times a year.

However, his career path changed in Barney's junior year of high school. His brother, having just turned 18, was arrested for stealing stereo equipment from a pawn shop. The cop booked his brother and held him in a cell overnight, but the next morning, the cop gave David a lecture about taking everything being 'for real' from this point out because he was an adult. However, the cop ripped up the booking papers and let David go. This gave David a huge wake-up call and also showed Barney that cops made a difference in people's lives. He decided to become a police officer after that.

His car is an Oldsmobile cutlass supreme. It was his father's car, and he refuses to ever sell it, even though it's a gas-guzzling old relic.

Favorite cake is chocolate. Favorite pie is apple. Favorite ice cream is strawberry. Favorite cookie is chocolate chip.

Prefers coke over pepsi.

Favorite beer Heineken. In a financial pinch he'll drink Budweiser.

Is 6'1" tall and weighs 175 pounds.

Has always been a terrible liar. His mother says he looks 'pained' when he lies.

Favorite food is steak. Favorite vegetable is corn on the cob.

Favorite animals are cats, dogs and horses. Doesn't like birds and hates fish (they smell bad and have no personality).

Favorite bands are Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones.

**Sooo...that's it. Let me know your thoughts. Hope you enjoyed reading through this nonsense. Reviews are greatly appreciated. 3**


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